The Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave.
These are the last few words of The Star-Spangled Banner, our National Anthem. They represent the core of what America is – a nation where freedom reigns due to the ultimate sacrifice of the men and women who died to make this freedom possible.
Don’t tell that to the makers of this ad, a group calling themselves, “Latinos For Reform.” This group is advising Latinos to bypass these elections and “Don’t Vote,” because, according to its website, “Democratic leaders had two years to push for comprehensive immigration. It turned out that their efforts were scant: all talk and no action.”
We checked out the website associated with this ad and found the following, “If, however, we don’t vote for these politicians, then we will command the attention and respect of both sides of the aisle.” The site claims that this is “the only way to make them stop taking us for granted.”
It’s quite frankly appalling to think that any group, especially one that claims to represent the voice of its members, would tell their members to keep their mouths shut!
The makers of this ad know one thing – that Republicans have been against Comprehensive Immigration Reform and have stood in the way of any real advancement on this issue for decades. The makers of the ad also know that since the Obama Administration, Immigration Reform and the Republicans opposing it have been a major topic in Washington over the last year.
From Republicans asking for the building of the “fence,” to their wanting to ship all illegal immigrants out of America back to their original country, to the “Anchor Babies,” these are all ways the Republicans are trying to suppress the Latino vote. Republicans know that thinking Latinos and other minorities will not cast a vote for a Republican, so advising Latinos to stay home will guarantee a no vote for Democrats.
Republicans are banking on suppressing Latinos, but Latinos are wiser than these Republicans are giving them credit for. Unlike what the author says on the Latinos for Reform website, staying home and keeping your mouth shut is not the way to make your voice heard. It is a way to help Republicans win.
In the land of the free, all legal voters must cast their votes. It’s the only way to make your voice heard.
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